Making honey while the sun shines

Alejandro Urbina Urbina has received training in beekeeping [Angela Page]

As droughts become more frequent, bees are helping a small rural community in Nicaragua to plug the gaps in income from their unpredictable and seasonal crops

A couple of hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, is the community of Ojo de Agua. People here grow tomatoes, melons, maize, beans and other crops to survive.

But the land is dry and in times of drought they have to ration water. A bad harvest means times are tough.

However, supported by The John XXIII Institute, people are being encouraged to set up beehives to provide honey and extra income.

A few families have already received training and will look after five beehives. They will sell the honey at the market.

Alejandro Urbina Urbina, treasurer of the people’s association, explains: “We went to see other people who are already using beehives, and had a go at feeding the bees. We had to put on protective suits.

“The people we visited had already been working for sixyears. Although the bees need flowers, even in a dry season we can get some honey.”

The honey is produced in between the two main sowing seasons, which are in May to August and September to November.

“We have had little rain this year so we have not had a good harvest. Here we all live off the land so a bad harvest means we have to find some other way to feed our families.

“We have to go to Managua or Matagalpa to buy maize. To do this we have to sell a cow or a horse.”

One hive should yield 20 litres of honey.Flowering season is in November, so bees produce the honey in November, December and February and it is harvested twice a month.

This is the most productive time when each hive can yield around 35 litres of honey. In March and April they only produce again, but just a small amount.

“In March and April we can feed the bees with water and sugar but this is expensive,” says Alejandro “because you have to buy the sugar.

“You have to feed them every 15 days and use one litre of water. You have to put it in the hive to make sure other insects don’t get it.

“Honey has many uses – cooking, in foods and in medicines. It’s good for coughs. Some people even export honey to Guatemala.”

Each hive costs around £25. The cost is covered by selling the honey.

“We hope others will learn from this and think how beautiful the work is. They will see the experience and be interested.

“Not so that they abandon their beans and other crops but as a way of making a bit of extra income.

“We can’t rely on just maize and beans we need other ways to make money.”

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